This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1828 deed of Stow and Levi Hildreth of Townsend, Massachusetts to Zachariah Hildreth of Townsend in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Land Records:
[Volume 326, pages 554-555]:
[Volume 326, pages 556-557]
[Volume 326, page 555, starts at bottom of right-hand page]:
[in right-hand margin]
S. Hildreth &al to Z. Hildreth
[in body of page]
Know all men by these presents that we Stow Hildreth and Levi
Hildreth both of Townsend in the County of Middlesex and
Commonwealth of Massachusetts yeomen in consideration of two
thousand dollars paid by Zachariah Hildreth of said Townsend
gentleman the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge do
[Volume 326, page 556]
hereby give grant sell and convey unto the said Zachariah Hil-
dreth his heirs and assigns forever a certain farm situate south-
erly of the meeting house in said Townsend and on babery
hill so called with all the buildings on said premises for
the quantites and quality reference being had to the deed by me
this day conveyed to the said Stow and Levi the bounds and
descriptions will fully appear meaning to convey all which
I conveyed to the said Stow and Levi in my deed aforesaid.
To have and to hold the afore granted premises to the same Zachariah
Hildreth his heirs and assigns to his and their use and behoof
forever. And We for ourselves our heirs executors and adminis-
trators do covenant with the said Zachariah Hildreth his heirs
and assigns that we are lawfully seized in fee of the afore
granted premises that they are free of all encumbrances that
we have good right to sell and convey the same to the said
Zachariah Hildreth to hold as aforesaid, and that we for
ourselves our heirs executors and administrators will warrant
and defend the same to the said Zachariah Hildreth his
heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims and
demands of all persons. Provided nevertheless that if the
said Stow Hildreth and Levi Hildreth their heirs executors and
administrators pay or cause to be paid fulfilled and satisfied
to the said Zachariah Hildreth his heirs executors admin-
istrators or assigns a certain bond bearing even date of these
presents fully ?????? care of the said Zachariah and Abigail wife
of the said Zachariah then this deed and also a certain bond
aforesaid bearing even date with these presents given by the said
Stow and Levi to the same Zachariah Hildreth to perform the
same at the times aforesaid shall both be void and otherwise shall
remain in full force. In witness whereof we the said Stow
Hildreth and Levi Hildreth have hereunto set our hands
and seals this twelfth day of February in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight.
Signed Sealed and delivered } Stow Hildreth {seal}
in presence of us } Levi Hildreth {seal}
Aaron Keyes } Middlesex Ss February 11, 1828
Sarah Jepson } then the above named Stow Hildreth
The ????? ??????? before Signing } and Levi Hildreth acknowledged
the above instrument to be their free act and deed Before
me Aaron Keyes J. Peace
Middlesex Ss November 13, 1833. Received and Recorded by
?.?. Stone Reg^r.
The source citation for this recorded deed is:
"Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2 December 2018), Middlesex County, "Deeds, 1833, Vol. 326," Volume 326, pages 555-556 (image 291-292 of 305), Deed of Stow Hildreth and Levi Hildreth to Zachariah Hildreth, executed 12 February 1828, recorded 13 November 1833.
The grantee of this deed is Zachariah Hildreth Sr. (1754-1828), "Gentleman." The grantors, Stow Hildreth and Levi Hildreth, are two sons of Zachariah and Abigail (Hart) Hildreth. Apparently, Zacharish Hildreth Sr. had given or sold this land to Stow and Levi Hildreth in an earlier deed. In this deed, a bond is mentioned for the care of Zachariah and Abigail Hildreth and the bond will be void as long as the care is provided. Zachariah essentially bought the care of he and his wife for $2000. No time limit is provided in the deed. Zachariah died on 16 March 1829 and Abigail died on 24 November 1846.
"Stow" Hildreth is certainly Jonathan Stowe Hildreth (1803-1863) who was born in Townsend to Zachariah and Abigail (Hart) Hildreth. Levi Hildreth (1808-1885) was the youngest son of Zachariah and Abigail (Hart) Hildreth.
Some words in the deed were very difficult to decipher due to the handwriting and the ink density. I used question marks to indicate the difficult words. Perhaps readers can decipher them by comparison to other deeds or better knowledge of the legal terms.
Zachariah Hildreth Sr. (1754-1829) is my fourth great-grandfather, who married (1) Elizabeth Keyes (1759-1793) in 1777, and (2) Abigail Hart (1769-1846) in 1794. I am descended through son Zachariah Hildreth Jr. (1783-1857) who married Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857).
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NOTE: Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday." John offers this definition for "amanuensis:"
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver
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